Midday

Let’s talk nutrition! January is a month that, for many of us, is filled with the best of intentions. We resolve to eat better, maybe lose some weight. How are we doing?

If the mid-winter doldrums have set in, and you’re wondering how to kick-start your resolve to eat better in 2020, fear not. Today, it's Smart Nutrition, with the Nutrition Diva, Monica Reinagel. She’s a licensed nutritionist, the host of the popular “Nutrition Diva” podcast, and the author of several books, including "Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet." Here's a link to something we discussed on today's show: Three factors that predict long-term success in weight loss.

Later in the show, we are joined by Dr. B. Gabriel Smolarz, a physician who treats people who are struggling with obesity and diabetes.

We livestreamed this conversation on the WYPR Facebook page. Click here to watch the video.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

It's Thursday, and time to welcome theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck with another of her weekly reviews of the Maryland stage. Today she joins Tom in Studio A with her take on Be Here Now, the 2018 work by award-winning playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer, now on stage at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre.

Be Here Now follows the transformation of a woman named Bari - a severely depressed, middle-aged misanthrope - who begins to have seizures that produce unaccustomed bouts of ecstasy. Her condition begins to change her view of the world and her relationships, and she is forced to decide whether it’s better to live a short, joyful life, or risk a lifetime of depression.

A comedic look at what we’re willing to do for love and happiness, Be Here Now is directed at Everyman by the playwright, Deborah Zoe Laufer, with performances by resident company cast members Beth Hylton as Bari and Kyle Prue as Mike Cooper, and featuring Katy Carkuff as Patty Cooper and Shubhangi Kuchibhotla as Luanne Cooper.

Be Here Now continues at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre through Sunday February 16. More info here.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today, an expert on infectious disease joins us to address the growing international concerns about the new coronavirus outbreak in China, and how the highly contagious disease could impact public health in the United States, and in particular, in Maryland.

The new pathogen, which epidemiologists are calling 2019 novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, was first identified this past December in Wuhan - the populous capital of Hubei province in central China - where officials say more than 6,000 people have now fallen ill. The contagion has expanded beyond its epicenter in Wuhan, with more than 150 cases reported in Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Vietnam.

So far, just five cases have been identified in the United States, and just one is under investigation in Maryland.

Across the state, officials in health care, educational and other institutions with highly mobile international populations are taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.


Dr. Lisa Maragakis is executive director of the Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine, as well as the senior director of Infection Prevention with the Johns Hopkins Health System. She joins Tom to explain what the coronavirus is, and what precautions are being taken, and must still be taken, to prevent its spread.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Now, another perspective on the Senate Impeachment trial of President Trump, which continues today at 1:00. As always, we will bring you NPR’s live coverage at that time.

Both the House impeachment managers and the White House defense team have now wrapped up their arguments. Today, the trial moves into the "Question" phase. During the next 16 hours, senators will submit questions to Chief Justice John Roberts, who will read them aloud and ask House managers and White House lawyers to respond. Sure to be among the topics is the possibility of calling witnesses like former National Security Advisor John Bolton. On Sunday night, when the New York Times published a story about a book Mr. Bolton has written describing Bolton’s interactions with the President on the subject of withholding aid to Ukraine, the dynamics of the trial changed dramatically.


To help us understand the moving parts in this historic process, we're joined by one of the nation's foremost constitutional scholars. Kim Wehle is a professor of law at the University of Baltimore, and currently a visiting professor and fellow at American University's School of Law in Washington, DC. She's also a legal analyst for CBS News, and the author of How to Read the Constitution and Why," published last year by Harper Collins. She joins Tom from her office at American University.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

The Senate Impeachment Trial of President Trump continues today, beginning at 1:00pm EST. WYPR will be carrying NPR's live coverage of the trial.

The President’s defense team wrapped up its arguments on Tuesday. The members of the White House team chose to use about 11 hours of their 24 allotted hours. When they concluded their presentation early, it took at least a few Senators by surprise.

Today, the trial moved into the question phase. Senators are submitting written questions to Chief Justice John Roberts, who reads them aloud, at which point House Managers and White House lawyers respond. Sure to be among the topics is the possibility of calling witnesses like former National Security Advisor John Bolton. On Sunday night, when the New York Times published a story about a book Mr. Bolton has written describing Bolton’s interactions with the President on the subject of withholding aid to Ukraine, the dynamic of the trial changed dramatically.

For a unique perspective on these historic proceedings, we begin today with Senator Chris Van Hollen. The junior senator from Maryland spoke with Tom from his office on Capitol Hill about 90 minutes before our live show.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Mary Miller is one of 24 Democratic candidates running for Baltimore mayor.

This is Ms. Miller’s first run for political office, but she is not new to government. In 2009, as the country plunged into recession, Ms. Miller was appointed by President Obama to top jobs at the Treasury Department. After holding several senior leadership positions, she left the Treasury in 2014 as the first woman to serve as the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance.

Before that, she had a long career at T. Rowe Price, here in Baltimore, where she ran the bond division.

For the last few years, she has been a Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins University where she has worked with the Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Tom is joined in Studio A by Shannon Wright. She is one of 7 Republicans running for Baltimore City Mayor. She is a former Vice President of the Yonkers NAACP; and also served on the New Jersey NAACP state board of directors. In 2016 she was the Republican nominee in the race for City Council President. She lost in the general election to now incumbent Mayor “Jack” Young.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Tom’s guest today is Catalina Byrd. She is one of 7 Republicans running for Baltimore City Mayor. Ms. Byrd is a political strategist, community activist, and media personality. In 2017 she was appointed by former mayor Catherine Pugh to serve on the Community Oversight Task Force. She currently serves as the Chair of the Domestic Violence Committee of the Women’s Commission of Baltimore City.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

T.J. Smith, the former Baltimore Police Department spokesman, is Tom’s guest today. He is one of 19 announced Democratic candidates running for Baltimore mayor. Mr. Smith joined the police department with the arrival of Commissioner Kevin Davis and served as the chief of communications from 2015 until 2018. After leaving the Police Department, Mr. Smith served as Press Secretary and Communications Advisor to Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today on Midday, a conversation about trucking safety, and efforts to address the serious and persistent problem of fatal truck crashes on America’s highways. Those crashes take the lives of more than 4,000 Americans every year — more than a dozen fatalities every day. Thousands more are injured. And thousands more are left to grieve for the victims.

Brian Kuebler is an investigative reporter at WMAR Television. Nearly ten years ago, he covered the story of Ed Slattery, a government economist whose wife Susan was killed when a tractor-trailer driver who’d fallen asleep at the wheel slammed his rig into her car at 55mph.

Slattery’s two young sons, Steven and Matthew, were also in the car and both were severely injured. Steven fully recovered, but Matthew, the younger boy, sustained permanent brain damage.

That horrible day marked the beginning of a long and difficult recovery for Matthew, and Ed’s long crusade to improve truck safety, and to advocate for the disabled.

Brian wrote a book about Ed’s journey from victim to activist. It’s called The Long Blink: The True Story of Trauma, Forgiveness, and One Man’s Fight for Safer Roads. Brian Kuebler and Ed Slattery join Tom in Studio A.


This conversation was livestreamed on WYPR's Facebook page. Watch the video here.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.